Tending the Bad Dreams
by Steph-Schell
Summary: Charlie has a bad dream but Danny is there to help her through it. (If you don't know what goes on in my Tending series by now, there is no hope for you)


**A/N: **For Iron America becuase I think I broke her with the last one

* * *

Charlie jolted awake. That wasn't surprising for her. Pregnancy meant she was waking at all hours of the night for the most random reasons. Neither she nor Miles was getting enough sleep these days. Charlie was pretty sure the only reason he wasn't snarkier than normal was because she was in her last trimester.

She rolled to look at her husband. Miles was still in dream land, apparently not aware of her abrupt exit from sleep. "You think too loud." Scratch that.

Charlie leaned over to kiss him. "Didn't mean to wake you."

"So go back to sleep and then we'll both be good."

"I…I need to get something."

Miles sleepily opened one eye. "Everything alright?"

"Perfect. Just go back to sleep Miles. I'll be back up in a bit." Miles struggled to get up but Charlie gently pushed him back down. "Everything is okay, Miles. I promise."

Miles tilted his head. "You'd tell me otherwise, right?"

"Of course."

He settled back into the bed uneasily. "Alright then. Don't be too long."

Charlie smiled at him as she got to her feet and grabbed an oil lamp. She turned up the flame to light her way down stairs. Charlie decided she would head to the kitchen in the hopes that some ginger tea would settle her stomach. Instead she was in for a shock as she got there. "Danny!"

Her younger brother turned with an expression that was part alarm and part sheepishness. "Charlie," he greeted. "God, you scared me."

"You're in my house," she argued. Then she ran to hug him.

Danny was confused but held her tight. "Charlotte? Everything okay? Is something wrong with you? Or Miles?" He thought he heard her sniffling. "Oh god, it's not the baby is it?"

"It's not the baby," Charlie promised. "The baby is fine. Kyle told me so just two days ago."

"Yeah but medicine sucks these days."

"I swear it's not the baby Danny."

Danny pulled away. He gently took the lamp from her and set it on the counter. "Then what is it? Come on, Charlie, tell me what's wrong." His eyes widened. "Did Miles hurt you?"

"What? No, Danny, he would never. Miles loves me, you know that."

Danny sighed. "I do know that. But Charlie you are acting really weird." He gave her a lopsided smile. "Even for you. So sit down and tell me what's up, big sister."

Charlie allowed him to settle her in one of the kitchen chairs and take her hand as he sat across from her. "I had a bad dream," she admitted.

"Bad dream? About what?"

"You."

"Oh, please don't tell me it was another 'Danny went crazy with Monroe and now he's evil' one. I can't take those."

Charlie laughed at his scrunched up face. "No, it wasn't one of those dreams."

"Then what was it?"

Charlie bit her lip. "You were dead," she whispered.

"I was what?'

"Dead. I dreamed that you were dead. We…we went to the rebel base like before. But instead of getting us out, Miles had gone with Mom. So we were there when the chopper strike happened. And Miles was going to use a rocket launcher but they shot at him and he fell back. You ran to pick it up. You shot the helicopter but…as it went down…" Charlie started crying again.

"Oh, don't do that." Danny quickly pulled her into his arms. "Please, don't cry. Miles will hear and then he'll get ticked that I made you cry. And that man is scary when he's angry."

Charlie let out a wet laugh. "Sorry. But, god, Danny you were gone. And you were lying there so still…"

"But I'm not," Danny insisted. "I'm right here. Miles came with us to Central Headquarters and he got us out that very night. And we walked miles and miles until we reached this little village. And now I am here and alive and married to a woman who has the strangest pregnancy cravings which is also why I'm raiding your kitchen at two am." Charlie smiled at him. "It's okay, Charlotte. Our family isn't broken. It's growing. You and I are both going to be parents in a matter of months. And it's really weird saying that to my big sister."

Charlei let out a real laugh this time. "How do you think I feel? I'm watching my little brother become a father."

"Yeah, don't remind me. I'm really not ready for this."

"You sound like Miles."

She punched him lightly. "Don't say that about my husband. He's going to make a wonderful father. And so are you."

Danny rubbed his arm as though her punch had actually hurt. "Hey, that's not fair. I can't punch a pregnant woman."

"You can't touch me. Miles would kill you no matter what my state." Charlie stuck her tongue out.

"You realize you're this close to being a mother, right? Because that is hardly mature behavior."

"Screw mature."

Danny just rolled his eyes. "So are you feeling better now?"

"So much better," she nodded. "Thanks Danny."

"You're welcome. I'd rather be over here anyway. Marta is getting crazy."

"Well you'd better find what she wants because I promise you, returning to a pregnant woman empty handed is a sure fire way to sign your own death warrant."

Danny opened his mouth but a call from the stairs interrupted him. "Charlie? You okay?"

"Fine Miles," she called back.

"What's taking so long?'

"Just talking to Danny."

"Well hurry up. Bed's getting cold."

"I'll be up in just a minute. Go back to sleep."

The siblings smiled as they heard him grumbling his way back to bed. "Guess you'd better go too," Danny said.

"Yeah," Charlie agreed. She hugged him once more. "It was really good to see you Danny. I'm glad you came over."

"I am too. Sleep well big sister."

"Same to you little brother."


End file.
